So, you have your new nail bar, salon or premises; your shelves are stocked, your desks are ready, the price lists are complete, but you still need the most important thing to make your business work: clients.
Without clients, we can’t exist let alone launch, which bears the question: How do we get new clients?
This is when we have to think about our marketing and advertising efforts and how we can effectively scoop our people in our target market up and bring them to the front door of our business. So, you must ask yourself, who is your target market?
In order to appeal to your target market, you need to first work out who they are and consider the following:
– Gender
– Age
– How far will they travel to you?
– What do they do for a job?
– What do they enjoy and like?
– What magazines do they read?
– What TV shows do they watch?
Although your clients will all have their own demographics, it’s important to realise that your group will be a similar type – so identifying the category of people they fall into will help you find them with your marketing and advertising.
Next, you’ve got to get your message in front of them. There are a number of places that you should be looking at marketing your new business, and here are a few key ideas…
1. Facebook
Create a Facebook business page and start posting informative, interesting posts to build interest in your up-and-coming business. Most of the world is on Facebook, so there is every chance your ideal clients will be too.
2. Email
Start to collate a good email database so you can communicate with your potential clients and take bookings before you’ve even opened your doors. Try and get an email address (with the user’s consent) so you can send emails to them.
3. Local magazines
Contact your local magazines and newspapers to ask about them featuring your new opening in their publication. You may be surprised how easy this can be; just pick up the phone and ASK!
4. Local businesses
Introduce yourself to the local businesses and ask ones that have a similar target market to you if you can pop some price lists in their shop. If you don’t reach out and ask then you’ll never know.
5. Opening night
Prepare to launch! Host an ‘invite only’ open night with a tour of your business, specials offers, demonstrations and pre bookings. The important thing to do here is to start to build a bit of hype around your business and get people excited.
If you start to build interest eight weeks before you open, you’ll have to wait eight weeks less to be super busy! People love something new and exciting – and making them wait for it will create more desire!
Are you planning on a new launch for 2016? If so, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
Taken from my blog for Scratch Magazine. You can read the original post here.
Miss my last posts from this series? You can click here for Writing A Business Plan, Working Out Your Finances, Finding The Perfect Location and Writing A Better Price List. Enjoy!